Litter scoop

ABSTRACT

A disposable litter scoop formed of a flexible paper or plastic bag having scoop panels secured to the upper edge thereof in spaced apart opposed relation to permit the scooping of litter therebetween after which the panels and bag are inverted to drop the litter into the bag. The panel scoop members may be turned inwardly of the bag to seal the bag and to form a handle for carrying the bag.

United States Patent [1 1 Yonaites et al.

LITTER SCOOP Inventors: Gary A. Yonaites; Rosemary C.

Yonaites, both of 1529 Greenleaf St., Evanston, Ill. 60202 Filed: July 29, 1971 Appl. No.: 167,118

US. Cl. 15/1043 Int. Cl A47l 13/52 Field of Search l5/257.l, 104.8;

229/62, 54, 55, 66, 48 SB; 294/1 R; ll9/l References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l2/l970 Canno 229/54 R June 19, 1973 3,534,424 10/1910 Levinson ..1s 257.1x 1,410,404 3/1922 Haines 229/541:

Primary Examiner--Leon G. Machlin Att0rney-Alexander B. Blair, Merlin M. Evans 57] ABSTRACT A disposable litter scoop formed of a flexible paper or plastic bag having scoop panels secured to the upper edge thereof in spaced apart opposed relation to permit the scooping of litter therebetween after which the panels and bag are inverted to drop the litter into the bag. The panel scoop members may be turned inwardly of the bag to seal the bag and to form a handle for carrying the bag.

5 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENIEB 3.739.418

sum 1 0r 2 INVENTORS. 642v A. Yam/75s y Paszmzr C. Yam/r55 Arrow/5Y5.

LITTER SCOOP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to disposable litter scoops which will hold the litter and serve as a disposal bag for the litter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a disposable litter scoop and bag which can be used for scooping up pet litter and containing the litter until it can be disposed of. The bag is formed of flexible paper or plastic and has a pair of scoop panels secured to the upper edge thereof in opposed relation. The scoop panels can first be used to scoop up litter therebetween and then by inverting the bag and panels drop the litter into the bag. The panels can be folded onto themselves and into the bag to seal the bag and provide a handle for carrying same. r

The primary object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive disposable litter scoop and bag for handling pet litter.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the invention with the bag in collapsed position;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are end elevations illustrating the use of the litter scoop and bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 1 1 is an end elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view with the scoop in opened position; and

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of another modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral indicates generally a litter scoop and bag constructed in accordance with the invention.

The litter scoop and bag 20 consist of an open top conventionally foldable bag 21 formed of flexible material such as paper or plastic. A generally rectangular scoop panel 22 is secured to the outer face of the upper assigned. The adhesive sealing strip 26 is normally covered with a strip 27 of wax paper or other material which will prevent adherence of the sealing strip 26 to that which it comes in contact with.

A second generally rectangular scoop panel 28 identical to the scoop panel 22 is secured to the opposite upper edge 29 of the bag 21 by a strip of adhesive 30. The panel 28 is arranged in opposed relation to the panel 22 and has a handle 31 depending therefrom for reasons to be assigned. The use and operation of the disposable litter scoop is illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 9. The bag 21 is inverted over litter L lying on a floor F. The bag is lowered until the panel scoops 22, 28 touch the floor on each side of the litter L whereupon they are closed under the litter L as can be seen in FIG. 7. The bag 21 is then inverted so that the litter L drops into the bag off the scoop panels 22, 28. The scoop panels 22, 28 are continued in their rotary motion so that they come into meeting contact sealing the bag 21 as can be seen in FIG. 9. The pressure sensitive adhesive strip 26 seals the panels 22, 28 together in closed position if the strip 27 is first removed.

The disposable litter scoop 20 may be used once and disposed of or may be used until the bag 21 is full before the scoop panels 22, 28 are sealed together.

In FIGS. 10 through 12 a modified disposable litter scoop is indicated generally at 40..

The litter scoop 40 includes an open top flexible paper or plastic bag 41 which can be conventionally folded for storage. The bag 41 has :a generally rectangular scoop panel member 42 secured to the inner face of the upper edge 43 thereof by means of a strip of adhesive 44. A handle 45 is integrally formed on the panel scoop 42 to assist in moving the panel scoop 42 as required. A strip of pressure sensitive adhesive 46 extends horizontally across the panel 42 adjacent the handle 45 and is covered with a wax paper or other strip 47 to prevent adherence of the adhesive strip 46 when not desired. A second panel scoop 48 of generally rectangular form is secured to the opposite edge of the bag 41 and has a handle 51 secured thereto.

The modification illustrated in FIGS. 10 through 12 operates in the identical manner as the preferred form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 with the exception that when closed the upper edges of the bag 41 lie flat instead of being inverted as in the preferred form of the invention.

In FIG. 13 another modified form of disposable litter scoop is illustrated generally at 60.

The disposable litter scoop 60 includes a bag 61 identical to the bags 21, 21 and has panel scoop members 62 secured thereto in the same manner as the panel scoop members in the previously described modifications. The panel scoop members 62 each has a finger opening 63 formed in the handle portion 64 thereof to permit the disposable litter scoop 60 to be easily handled after use.

Having thus described the embodiments of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A disposable litter scoop and bag comprising a flexible open top bag, a pair of panel scoop members with depending handles having their central portions hingedly secured to two of the opposed upper edges of said bag in opposed relation and adapted to rotate about their hinged securement for engaging on opposite sides and beneath floor litter to deposit the floor litter in said bag upon inversion of said bag.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scoop portions of said panel scoops extend upward of the upper edges of said bag a distance equal to or slightly greater than one half the length of the unattached opposite sides of the upper edges of said bag providing for the tight engagement of said unattached edges around said scoop portions upon full inward rotation of said panel scoop members after use.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the scoop portions of said panel scoop members are extended beyond the width of the attached portion of said upper bag edges sufficiently to prevent the unattached opposite sides of said bag from disengaging upon the full inward rotation of said panel scoop members.

after use for disposal.

l I I 

1. A disposable litter scoop and bag comprising a flexible open top bag, a pair of panel scoop members with depending handles having their central portions hingedly secured to two of the opposed upper edges of said bag in opposed relation and adapted to rotate about their hinged securement for engaging on opposite sides and beneath floor litter to deposit the floor litter in said bag upon inversion of said bag.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scoop portions of said panel scoops extend upward of the upper edges of said bag a distance equal to or slightly greater than one half the length of the unattached opposite sides of the upper edges of said bag providing for the tight engagement of said unattached edges around said scoop portions upon full inward rotation of said panel scoop members after use.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the scoop portions of said panel scoop members are extended beyond the width of the attached portion of said upper bag edges sufficiently to prevent the unattached opposite sides of said bag from disengaging upon the full inward rotation of said panel scoop members.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said handle portions of said panel scoop members come into full engagement upon the full inward rotation of said panel scoop members to form a carrying handle for said disposable litter scoop and bag after use.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the said panel scoop members is provided with an outwardly facing pressure sensitive adhesive strip which comes into sealing engagement with the other panel scoop member upon the full inward rotation of said panel scoops providing a permanently sealed container after use for disposal. 